​The Small Business Blog

SBA is slowly going digital. The Agency rolled out Certify.SBA.gov last year and is in the process of transitioning all of its programs to the site. According to Certify.SBA.gov, the site is currently only available for Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Mentor Protégé programs. The timeline for fully incorporating the rest of the programs are as follows: 8(a) in Winter 2017; HUBZone in Spring 2017; and Dynamic Small Business Search in Summer 2017.

On August 24, 2016, SBA updated its regulations requiring all 8(a) applications be filed electronically. To comply with these changes, as of earlier this year, all 8(a) signed applications and supporting documents must be uploaded to Certify.SBA.gov, instead of printing and mailing the hard copy application package to SBA. The interim application steps include: 1. Complete the 8(a) online application on SBA’s General Login System (GLS); and, 2. Upload the signed application and supporting documents via Certify.SBA.gov. A guide for this interim business process is available on SBA GLS. The guide includes instructions on how to save each file, important reminders for your application, as well as a list of supporting documents that need to be uploaded via Cerify.SBA.gov. The list of supporting documents is a bit shorter than the various lists on previous application forms. However, SBA can still come back and asks for additional documents.

We were a bit hesitant when these new procedures were implemented because we anticipated some hiccups with the transition. We were particularly concerned that each supporting document needed to be uploaded separately and we were not sure if Cerfity.SBA.gov could accommodate large files. However, we have found Certify.SBA.gov to be easy to use, time saving, and environmentally friendly (no more wasting a ream of paper on an application!). We also like the time and money saved from not having to mail in huge application packages. If/when SBA comes back with questions about your application, they are also requiring responses and additional documents be uploaded via Certify.SBA.gov. While the new procedures have saved time on application preparation, unfortunately, we have not seen that going electronic has accelerated the application processing times.

We look forward to SBA fully transitioning over to Certify.SBA.gov, especially 8(a) annual reviews. We will continue to update our blog on our thoughts as SBA continues its transition.

Please contact us at (808) 369-9710 or via e-mail at info@holomuaconsulting.com to find out more about how we can help you with pursuing small business certifications, including 8(a).